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A number of users have reported that running "rm --no-preserve-root -rf /" not only deletes all their files (as expected), but also permanently bricks their computers (which is not). Tracing the issue revealed that the ultimate cause was that SystemD mounted the EFI pseudo-fs as read-write even when this FS was not listed in fstab, and deleting certain files in this pseudo-fs causes certain buggy, but very common, firmware not to POST anymore. A user reported this bug on SystemD's GitHub issue tracker, asking that the FS be mounted read-only instead of read-write, and said bug was immediately closed as invalid. The comment thread for the bug was locked shortly after. Discuss.
Links:
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/2402
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2016/02/01/running-a-single-delete-command-can-permanently-brick-laptops-from-inside-linux/
(Score: 3, Interesting) by VLM on Tuesday February 09 2016, @01:18PM
It is NOT systemd's fault
Sure, sure. Lets abstract systemd out of the discussion. Its too controversial. Once we do that we can evaluate the wisdom of how this situation is being handled in an abstract sense, perhaps via analogy.
"Its not my fault that I copy strings from one buffer to another without checking for length. I've product tied string copying into the desktop and deeply into the OS so if you don't like how I do it, there's only one choice so stop using the OS. If my string copying decisions mean that people are putting weirdness into the buffer that smashes the stack and roots the box, that's not my problem, that's their problem for putting it there and having bugs in their input sanitation. My problem is copying strings not rooting boxes so talk to the rooting boxes department, all we do is copy strings here. Noob-tier mistakes with string copying are not the only way to root a box, therefore because its not the only source of problems, its not a problem at all. Finally appeal to authority isn't a logical fallacy but is a good way of life and if I can browbeat some random idiot out on the internet into taking responsibility for my mistake, that magically means I am no longer responsible, just like some theories behind voodoo and soul stealing via photography."
I don't even have a dog in the fight anymore so I think I'm giving a fair summary. I used Linux for more than 20 years, watched it get ruined, which pissed me off for awhile, now I use BSDs and I'm happy as can be and wonder why I didn't upgrade to freebsd a long time ago. Thank you systemd for ruining Linux, which helped me upgrade to FreeBSD, sincerely, I mean it.